Lawyers for Mr Ray Burke have accused a solicitor of trying to "vilify" their client by referring to a rumour that the former minister had his house in Swords built for free.
Mr Aidan Walsh SC, for Mr Burke, said the solicitor, Mr Esmonde Reilly, by referring to rumours, had introduced evidence which should not have come before the tribunal. He referred to the fact Mr Reilly was the son-in-law of the former Labour minister for local government, Mr James Tully.
Mr Reilly, who had earlier told the tribunal he had received no money from Mr Burke when handling the conveyancing of the site in Swords, apologised for the word "rumour". But he added: "If I wanted to vilify Mr Burke, the easiest thing in the world would have been to tell James Tully." However, he hadn't done this.
Mr Jack Foley, a director of Oak Park Developments, the company which sold the site to Mr Burke and then built his house, Briargate, on it, said that in the early 1970s Mr Burke's estate agency sold houses in Swords on behalf of his company.
Oak Park decided to build a house for Mr Burke on the site he purchased, for a total price of £15,000. "This was a once-off for a man more or less employed by us."
Mr Foley said the amount due was paid in three instalments of £5,000 by Irish Permanent. This sum was paid before the sale was closed.
Mr John Gallagher SC, for the tribunal, asked the witness if he had any documents to show that money had been paid.
Mr Foley said he had no documentation. He agreed the transaction was "extraordinary" and "unique". It had never happened before or since.
Mr Walsh said his client's evidence would be that he paid for the house in one tranche. The sum of £15,000 came from the Property Loan Investment Company, an offshoot of Bank of Ireland.
The witness said the house was designed by Mr Burke's architect, Mr John Keenan. He conceded that Mr Keenan had carried out work for Oak Park. Mr John Gallagher, for the tribunal, pointed out that Mr Keenan was listed as working for Forest Homes, a related company, on the planning application for Mr Burke's home.
The planning application was made in September 1972, a year before the contract was signed for Mr Burke to buy the lands.
